COLOGNE \u2013 Could it be that Facebook finally considers itself to be a content company? The social media giant\u2019s pledge at DMEXCO 2017 to institute new measures ensuring better brand safety for advertisers is a welcome example of a leadership position on the issue, according to MediaLink Vice Chairman Wenda Harris Millard.<\/p>\n
\u201cFacebook is a platform company. It didn\u2019t really think of itself as a content company and responsible for a lot of this. I think a lot of the technology companies don\u2019t,\u201d Millard says in this interview at the DMEXCO<\/a> advertising and media trade show.<\/p>\n Nonetheless, \u201cThey have absolutely committed to being the leader in what brand safety is all about in the digital space.\u201d<\/p>\n Millard\u2019s comments were in response to the disclosure by Carolyn Everson, Facebook\u2019s VP of Global Marketing, that the social media giant will provide marketers with more reliable data about their ad campaigns and implement new content rules, as Advertising Age reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure that Google and all the other players will be putting forth their own brand safety measures, but I really solute Facebook for making that announcement, taking the lead,\u201d Millard says.<\/p>\n Content, measurement and brand safety issues have dogged Facebook for well over a year, the most recent being indications that Russian ad buys on the platform were intended to influence the 2016 U.S. General Election. All of these issues come into clear focus considering the combined footprint of both Facebook and Google.<\/p>\n \u201cThey own scale,\u201d Millard says of the digital titans.<\/p>\n This is a source of unending frustration from both publishers and marketers that \u201cthere hasn\u2019t been enough room outside Google and Facebook. But I think that\u2019s not necessarily true. I think people are working very hard to get their stories told,\u201d says Millard.<\/p>\n Consultancy MediaLink was acquired in early 2017 by Ascential plc, which owns the Cannes Lions Festivals, and by April had announced its intention to set up shop in London under Millard\u2019s leadership. She\u2019s pleased with results to date.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reception has been terrific. When we talk to brands they all have very, very common headaches and that\u2019s all under the umbrella of digital transformation. It doesn\u2019t matter what business you\u2019re in as a brand. And that\u2019s what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n Having had a longtime presence at both Cannes and DMEXCO, Millard says DMEXCO’s founders have built \u201ca very enviable franchise.\u201d<\/p>\n